Multi-instance Setup

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Multi-instance Setup

    The Multi-instance Setup in AI Control Tower enables a production (prod) manager instance to control, manage, and communicate with multiple sub-production (sub-prod) managed instances. This setup facilitates synchronization of AI assets and rules across instances, streamlining management and review processes.

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    Key Features

    • AI Asset Synchronization: Uses the multi-instance framework to synchronize assets such as AI systems, models, prompts, and datasets from sub-prod to prod instances. Since the September 2025 release, AI agents are also synchronized.
    • Version Compatibility: Both prod and sub-prod instances must run the same AI Control Tower core version 6.2.4 (minimum supported version starting May 2026) to ensure proper multi-instance framework functionality.
    • AI Inventory Information: Synchronizes inventory information, reflecting the overall lifecycle state of assets from a production perspective. Assets under development in sub-prod are not considered deployed until activated in prod.
    • Data Sharing Preference: Optionally enables data sharing preferences from the prod instance to apply to all sub-prod instances. This option is off by default.
    • Data Overflow Processing and Bursting Preference: Allows enabling overflow processing and bursting preferences from prod to apply to sub-prod instances, also off by default.
    • Read-only Preferences: Once Multi-instance is configured and enabled, preferences for sub-prod instances become read-only to maintain centralized control.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    By implementing the Multi-instance Setup, ServiceNow customers managing AI Control Tower can centrally govern multiple AI environments, ensuring consistent asset synchronization and lifecycle management. This setup improves efficiency in reviewing AI assets and maintaining alignment across development and production environments. Customers should ensure version compatibility and carefully manage preferences to maintain data consistency and operational control.

    The multi-instance setup enables a prod (manager) instance to control, manage, and communicate with multiple sub-prod (managed) instances for AI Control Tower.

    AI asset Synchronization

    Multi-instance setup uses the multi-instance framework, which helps the user to synchronize assets from sub-prod instances to prod instances for a faster review process.

    Multi-instance setup synchronizes rules for the sub-prod instances from the prod instance.

    Note:
    Starting with the May 2026 release, confirm that both the prod and sub-prod instances are running the same AI Control Tower core version (6.2.4), which is the minimum supported version.

    If there’s any upgrade to version 6.2.4 in a sub-prod, then it’s advisable to upgrade the prod instance to 6.2.4 to confirm Multi-instance framework functions correctly.

    AI inventory information
    You can include the sub-prod instances that you want to synchronize with the prod instance. This synchronizes AI inventory information between the instances.

    When configured, the scheduled job starts synchronizing AI systems, AI models, prompts, and datasets. From the September (2025) release, the job has been enhanced to include synchronizing AI agents as well.

    Note:
    State of the assets while configuring Multi-instance management.

    The AI inventory in production reflects the true state of your assets like models, datasets, or skills from a production standpoint. Even if a model or dataset is active in a sub prod (lower) environment, it's still considered as under development from a prod perspective, since it's being tested and not yet live.

    For this reason, you don’t synchronize asset states across environments. An asset’s state changes to deployed only when the asset and its related records are activated in the production system.

    In summary, the state represents the overall lifecycle of the asset, not its local status in a specific environment.

    Data sharing preference
    You have the option to enable the data sharing preference, when it is enabled the preferences of the data sharing from the production will be applied to all sub-prod instances. By default, the data sharing preference is turned off.
    Data overflow processing and bursting preference
    You have the option to enable the data overflow processing and bursting preferences, when it is enabled the preferences of the data overflow and bursting from the production will be applied to all sub-prod instances. By default, data overflow processing and bursting is turned off.
    Note:
    All the preferences mentioned earlier for a sub-prod instance are available in read-only mode, when Multi-instance is configured and enabled.

    For information about configuring Multi-instance management for AI Control Tower, see Configure Multi-instance management for AI Control Tower

    For information about Data section, see Data sharing, Data overflow processing, and Security & privacy in AI Control Tower